title: An overview of ocular motor neurophysiology.
abstract: A review of current concepts in ocular motor neurophysiology is presented. Four separate subsystems of eye movements are recognized: saccadic, smooth pursuit, vergence, and vestibular. Each subsystem is characterized by different physiologic characteristics and different anatomic substrates which may be selectively affected in different pathologic states. A further eye movement response, optokinetic nystagmus, is complex and may be considered a separate system. To regard the horizontal optokinetic response as merely a combination of pursuit and saccades is an oversimplification but one which may be useful in clinical localization.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005123:Eye / Q000294:innervation*; D005133:Eye Movements; D006801:Humans; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D009802:Oculomotor Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D012018:Reflex; D012399:Rotation; D012438:Saccades; D013788:Thalamus / Q000502:physiology; D014725:Vestibular Nerve / Q000502:physiology